Michael An Gof, the Cornish BlacKsmith

Michael Joseph (also known as Michael An Gof ; An Gof is Cornish
for blacksmith) and Thomas Flamank
(a Bodmin landowner's son and London lawyer) led the Cornish Rebellion of 1497.
The rebellion was over King Henry VII's levying of a tax to fund his Scottish
War. The Cornish believed that this war was nothing to do with them, and under
the leadership of Michael Joseph and Thomas Flamank, thousands march from Cornwall
to London to air their grievances to the king.

Michael Joseph was born in the village of
Saint Keverne on the Lizard, where he grew up to become the village blacksmith.
Virtually nothing apart from that seems to be known about him. Indeed why St
Keverne and why the local blacksmith ended up as being the ones that started
the rebellion, are not clear. An Gof is Cornish for "blacksmith".
Angove is still a common surname in Cornwall.

The unpopular tax was collected by Commissioners. The Commissioner
appointed to collect the tax on on the Lizard was one Sir John Oby, Provost
of Glasney College, Penryn. Although a the very poor were meant to be exempt
from the tax, some collectors were severe, and Sir John Oby was particularly
so. This zealousness by him may have been a reason that those in St. Keverne
rose first.

A fuller description of their march and battle is given in the
section on Thomas Flamank.
They led an ill-armed army to march to London. Camped at Blackheath which was
then outside London. They were armed only with with staves, pitchforks and homemade
weapons. On June 17th 1497 they were surrounded by the King's army of ten thousand
men. The Battle of Deptford Bridge was brief, 200 Cornishmen died.

An Gof fled to Greenwich after the battle, but was captured and
sent to the Tower of London. Flamank and Joseph being executed at Tyburn 10
days later. They were hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn. Their heads were
displayed on pike-staffs on London Bridge.

An Gof is recorded as saying, on the way to his death, that he
would have "a name perpetual, and a fame permanent and immortal".
To this day, the 27th June is celebrated An Gof day, with annual events in Bodmin,
St Keverne, and London

On its 500th anniversary, the Cornish uprising was marked by the
unveiling of a statue, depicting An Gof and Flamank, at An Gof's home town of
St. Keverne in Cornwall.